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There are two types of change management plans. One addresses the impact of change to an organization, easing the transition. The other tracks changes to a single project, creating a clear record of product tweaks or alterations to the project scope. Both of these plans aim to communicate what needs to be done clearly and accurately.

Steps

Method1

Writing a Plan to Manage Organizational Change

1

Demonstrate reasons for the change. List factors that led to the decision to change, such as performance gaps, new technology, or a shift in the organization's mission.

One approach is to describe the current situation of the organization, and the future situation this plan intends to create.[1]

2

Define the type and scope of change. Briefly describe the expected nature of the change management project. Determine whether this will affect job roles, process changes, policy changes, and/or structural organization. List the departments, work groups, systems, or other components that may undergo change.[2]

3

Describe stakeholder support. List all stakeholders affected by the plan, for example senior management, project manager, project sponsor, end users, and/or employees affected by the change. For each one, write whether the stakeholder supports the change.

Consider a chart to communicate this clearly and succinctly. One possible template lists Awareness, Degree of Support, and Influence for each stakeholder, rated on a scale of High/Medium/Low.[3]

If possible, conduct one-on-one interviews to gauge support.

4

Create a change management team. This team is responsible for communicating with all stakeholders, listening to concerns, and ensuring that the change goes as smoothly as possible. Choose people with high credibility in the organization, and good communication skills.[4]

This should include a change sponsor at the senior executive level.[5] Stress that this involves active work promoting the changes, not just a sign-off on the plan.

5

Develop an approach with organization management. Complete support from organization heavyweights is critical for the success of the change. Allow each senior staff member to provide feedback on the change, and work with each one to create an active role in demonstrating and championing the changes.[6]

6

Draw up a plan for each stakeholder. For each stakeholder, including those who support the change, assess the risks and concerns involved. Assign the change management team the task of addressing these concerns.

7

Create a communication plan. Communication is the most important component of change management. Communicate frequently with every person affected. Reinforce the reasons behind the change, and the benefits it will bring.

Communication should come from the high-level change sponsor, from the direct supervisor of each employee, and from any additional spokespersons the stakeholder trusts.[8] All communication should have a consistent message.

8

Track resistance. There is always resistance to change. This happens on the individual level, so communicate with stakeholders personally to discover the cause. Monitor grievances so the change management team can address them. These concerns commonly include:[9]

Address roadblocks. Many grievances should be met by an increase in communication, or a change in communication strategy that addresses specific issues. Others require additional approaches, which may be included in your plan or left to the change management team to implement as necessary. Consider which of these is right for your organization:

For any change in job roles or process, make employee training a top priority.[10]

If you expect low morale or a stressful transition, alleviate this with a company event or employee perks.[11]

If stakeholders feel left out of the loop, hold a meeting to gather feedback and consider alterations to the plan.

Method2

Tracking Changes to Any Project

1

Define change management roles. List the roles that will be assigned for this project. Describe the responsibilities and necessary skills for each role. At minimum, include a project manager to enact changes on a day-to-day level, and a project sponsor to track overall progress and make high-level change management decisions.

For broad projects in a large organization, you may need to divide the project management role among several people with specialized knowledge.

2

Consider a change control board. Software projects typically include a Change Control Board, made up of representatives from each stakeholder group. This board approves change requests instead of the project manager, and communicates the decisions to stakeholders.[13] This approach works well for projects with many stakeholders, and projects which may need frequent reevaluation of the scope and baseline goals.

3

Create a process for enacting change requests. Once someone on the project team identifies a step forward, how does it go from idea to reality? Describe this process here, as agreed upon by the team. Here's an example:[14]

Team member fills out a Change Request form and sends it to the project manager.

Project manager enters form into the Change Request Log, and updates this log as requests are implemented or rejected.

Manager assigns team members to write a more specific plan, and to estimate the effort required.

Add additional information to the change log. The change log must also track decisions and implementation. Besides the information copied from the change request form, you'll need space for the following:[17]

Mark of approval or rejection

Signature of the person approving or rejecting the request

Change implementation deadline

Change completion date

6

Track major decisions. In addition to the day-to-day change log, the project may benefit from a record of major decisions. This record may make it easier to track long term projects, or projects that undergo leadership changes. This record can also guide communication with clients or senior management. For each change in deadlines, project scope or requirements, priority levels, or strategy, include the following information:[18]

Who made the decision

When the decision was made

A summary of the reasons behind the decision, and the process used to reach it. Attach any documents related to this process.

Tips

Build trust and loyalty with both your staff members and your customers. Change can make people feel uneasy. By communicating that you are looking out for the best interest of your people, you will gain their support.

To write a change management plan for an organization, start by listing the contributing factors, such as performance gaps or new technology. Next, describe the change and how it affects job roles, procedures, policies, and structural organization. Then, list the departments, groups, and stakeholders affected by the plan. Create a change management team to ensure a smooth transition, and devise a communication plan to reinforce the reasons behind the change! For tips on tracking changes to any project, read on!

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Co-Authored By:

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Co-authors: 6

Updated: March 29, 2019

Views: 246,473

92% of readers found this article helpful.

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92% of people told us that this article helped them.

KK

Kudzani Kumule

Nov 28, 2017

"This helped me to know key factors to take into consideration when you develop a Change Management plan. First, you must know exactly what you want to achieve, list all stakeholders and engage them through effective communication strategy. Manage resistance or obstacles during implementation stage. The Project Sponsor must be accountable for the results. Change Agents must be influential for the success of the project."..." more

JC

Joshua Cheng

Jul 31, 2016

"I have been looking for a plan template to use for change management and felt very blessed to find this to teach me exactly how to do it. It is a very good plan which I am adapting for my purpose. Thank you for the help."..." more

JS

Jasmine Suit

Aug 18, 2017

"I used the steps as the outline for a summary document of a change management plan. I found the added information on each step useful to help me flesh out the content for that section in my document."..." more

Rated this article:

SS

Sarah Swann

Jun 15, 2017

"Needing to write a change plan for a systems implement project. Good to have a template and some pointers regarding what to include. This has been very useful. Thanks."..." more

Rated this article:

CT

C. Taylor

Jan 31, 2017

"This article lays out, very clearly, all steps necessary to create and implement a viable Change Management Plan. It's just what I needed! Thank you!"..." more

LH

Lyndon Hicks

Dec 13, 2017

"Your layout is perfect for a fast and informative information grab, a topic line and succinct bullet points conveying needed actions. Well done!"..." more

IM

I. M.

Feb 26, 2017

"Preparing a change management report for university, this article summarized very coherently the brief steps of a management plan."..." more

KB

Khalid Bawazir

Nov 14, 2017

"We are having a huge paradigm shift for the transformation in our organization. I believe this article will help us to do it."..." more

FL

Francis Loughheed

May 31, 2016

"This article gave me a framework that allowed me to put materials and concepts I already had into a step-by-step process."..." more

A

Anonymous

Nov 19, 2017

"I used the information in a Master's program for Health Care Program Design. It was short, simple and concise."

KC

Kylie C.

May 27, 2017

"It was very helpful thanks. It was high level advice that got me thinking on the right path!"